Slicing machine



Dec. 15,1942, J, R um 2,395,117

sLIcm'G MACHINE Filed March 17, 1959' 4 sheets-sheet 1 76 Y /Z L` INVENTOR Jog/vh? rr Dec. l5, 1942. J. R. LITTY 2,305,177

- SLICINGMACHINE Filed March 17, 19:59 `4: sheets-'sheet 2 n.. t@ J A ORNEYA Dec. 15, 1942. J. R. Ll-r'rY SLICING MACHINE Filed March 17, 1939 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTOR JoH/vL/TT TTORN EY Dec. 15, 1942. J. R. Lrr'rY 2,305Q'l77 ,SLICING MACHINE v Filed March 17, 1959 4.sheetssheet 4- /7 r BY JOHN R.L\w

A TTORNE Y Patented Dec. 15, 1942 UNITED Y STATES PATENT OFFICE SLICING MACHINE John R. Litty, Philadelphia, Pa.

Application March 17, 1939, Serial No. 262,470

(Cl. 14E-88) 6 Claims.

'Ihis invention relates to a cutting machine, and has particular relation to a machine employed for cutting cake.

'I'he machine is intended to cut large cakes into slices, long slabs of cake into either slices or smaller cakes, and jelly roll, fig bars, etc. into slices or small cakes.

The invention embodied in this application is an improvement on the type of cake cutting machine shown and described in United States Letters Patent No. 1,923,871, granted August 22, 1932, on the joint invention ofl John R. Litty, the inventor herein and one Trued B. Lundin. In the type of cake cutting machine shown in the patent mentioned, the limiting or slice regulating plate bears against the end of the cake from which a slice is to be cut during the time that the knife severs the slice and upon the return trip of the reciprocating table to its original or starting point, the cake body frictionally engages the vertically moving knife which causes crumbling or tearing of the end of the cake body.

The object of the present invention is to provide means for selectively gauging the thickness of the slices to be cut from the cake body, and to automatically release that means when the slice is being cut from said cake body.

A further object 0f the invention is to provide means associated with said slice regulating means so that when the body of the cake is substantially exhausted, suitable support may be provided for the portion to be sliced as it engages the knife. v

A still further object of the present invention is to provide means for retracting the table carrying the cake body away from the knife to prevent drag of the knife on the cake body when same starts on its return trip to the original starting position, and automatic means for returning said table to its initial location upon its arrival at said original starting position.

A still further object of the invention is to provide means for eifectually cleansing the knife and for conditioning same so as to prevent drag during the process of severing slices of cake.

According to the invention, the cake slicing machine comprises a main table, a vertically moving cutting knife, a conveyor, a reciprocable slotted table for carrying a cake to be sliced, said cutting knife operating in said slotV and adapted to cut a slice from the forward end of said cake body, means for limiting the thickness of the slice to be cut, and means for automatically retracting said limiting meansvr when said automatically retracting said reciprocable table away from said knife upon its return trip to original starting position in order that the knife shall nolt frictionally engage the end olf' the cake body, and means for returning said reciprocable table to its original location upon its arrival at its initial starting position.

The drawings illustrate an embodiment of the invention, and the views therein are as follows:

Figure l is a top plan view of the cake cutting machine, and shows the knife mounting means and cover in dotted lines,

Figure 2 is a front elevation of the machine with the bottom broken away,

Figure 3 is a small detail section showing the mechanism for holding the end of the cake when the cake body issubstantially exhausted,

Figure 4 is a cross sectional view of the trim slice limiting member,

Figure 5 is an enlarged partial end view of the machine looking in the direction of the arrow A in Figure 1, withv part of the mechanismr broken away,

Figure 6 is a top plan view of the reciprocating mechanism with the top plate removed,

Figure 7 is a top plan view of means employed for cutting thin cake sections such as' fig newtons, wafers, etc., Y

Figure 8 is a front end view of the same,

Figure 9 is a cross-sectional View on the line 9-9 of Figure 7, y

Figure 10 is an enlarged vertical sectional view showing the means for mounting the vertically moving knife, and means for cleansing and conditioning same,

Figure 11 is a detail vertical sectional view taken on the line H-II of Figure 10,

Figure 12 is a plan view of the bed plate shown in Figures 1 and 6 with parts removed for clearness of illustration,

Figure 13 is a side elevational View of the bedplate shown in Figure 12,

Figure 14 is a plan View of the upper plate illustrated in Figure 1, and

Figure 15 is an end elevational view of the upper plate shown in Figure 14.

As illustrated in the drawings, the machine has a main stationary table Il having a pair of belt conveyors I2 passing over suitable rollers I3, and a vertically moving knife I4 located between said conveyors.

rllfhe reciprocating table I6 comprises an upper plate I1 and a bed plate I8 (see Figures l, 2, 6, 12 and 13). This bed plate is provided'with front rollers I9 and anged rollers 2|, which engage the track 22 mounted on top of main table II. The main table is provided with stop members 23 and 24 for limiting the movement of the reciprocable table, and is provided with cam plates 25 along the rear edge thereof.

The bed plate I8 has slotted holes 26 and an intermediate hole 21, the purpose of which is later explained. The bed plate has an angle bar 28 at the left hand side of the same which -together with a relatively small generally rectangular portion 38 of the bed plate extends to and connects with a plate 29 which carries the flanged rollers 2l. Portion 38 is slotted as indicated yat 38a for receiving knife I4 in a manner to be described. The bed plate is provided with a hand grip 3I for grasping the mechanism to reciprocate the table. Extending out from the plate 29 are a pair of studs 32 which carry a bar 33 movable thereon. This bar has rollers 34 secured to the rear face thereof.

Pivotally mounted on the bar 33 are a pair of toggle members 36 while the forward ends of said toggle members are pivotally connected to a bar 31. The toggle members are provided with upstanding posts 38 which engage a screw member 39 which is provided with right hand threads 4I and left hand threads 42. The screw member is provided with a hand wheel 43 for adjusting the distance between the bars 33 and 31, as hereinafter explained.

Between the bar 33 and plate 29 spiral springs 44 tend to push the bar 33 against the heads of the studs 32. The bar 31 has blocks 46 mounted thereon, and these blocks are bored, as at 41 (see Figure 3), and pins 48 are slidably mounted in said bores. These pins are fastened at their forward ends to a limiting or slice regulating plate 49. This plate 49 is provided with links I to which the front ends of spiral springs 52 are connected, while the rear ends of said springs are fastened to hooks 53 mounted on the blocks 46. This bar 31 (see Figure 6) is provided with a pair of cams 54 which are pivotally mounted on said bar at 56 (see Figure 3). The cams are fastened to an operating bar '51 by a pin 53, and this bar is provided with a hand member'59 (see Figure 6). The bar 31 has pins 6I mounted thereon for limiting the movement of the cams 54 either by the action of the operating bar 51 or through the tension of the spiral springs 52.

A trim slice regulating device 62 comprising -a block 83 has a slot 64 fitting over the upstanding leg of the angle bar 28, and a screw pin 66 may be tightened to secure the said device at any desired place along the length of said angle bar. The block is also provided with a laterally movable pin 61 which has a spiral spring 68 surrounding said pin between said block and the head 69 of said pin, so as to keep the forward end 1I of said pin retracted. Fastened to the portion 30 of bed plate I8 and plate 29 is a scale bar 12 for positioning or gauging the limiting or slice regulating plate 49. The upper plate I1 rests upon the bed plate I8, and is provided with a pair oi rollers 13 which t into the slots 26 in said bed plate while an extension 'I4 on the bottom of said upper plate fits through the hole 21 with sufficient play to allow the movement of the rollers 13 in the slots 26 as later explained. This extension 14 is provided with a roller 16.

The upper plate I1 is provided with a fixed rail 11 which has a stop member 18 at its front end and a stop member 19 at its rear end. This rail has a cake body advancing plate 8| fastened to a block 82 with a slot 83 into which said rail ts. The plate is provided with a roller 84 while the block has a hand gripping member 86 for pushing the plate 8I in the direction of `the arrow X for advancing the cake body against the limiting or slice regulating plate 49. This cake body advancing plate may be cut out7 as at B1 (see Figure 2) to provide space for passing over the guide rail 88. This guide rail is secured to brackets 89 having slots 9| through which bolts 92 extend and t into any of the series of holes 93.

For a purpose to be later described, it is desired that the upper plate I1 be permitted to move downwardly or in the direction of the arrow D (Figure `l) a slight distance relative to bed plate I8 as lthe plates I1 :and I8 are moved to the right or in the direction of the arrow B. Also, it is desired on the return stroke of the plates that plate I1 be moved slightly upwardly or towards the table II so that upon the completion of the return stroke, plate I1 is in its starting position, as illustrated in Figure 1, The mechanism for effecting movement of upper plate I1. :away from and towards the stationary table will now be described. A camming element, generally indicated at 94 is L-shaped in cross-section, and the base of the L extends horizontally beneath roller 19 with slight clearance and is weldingly or otherwise suitably secured to the front face of `stationary table II. The upstanding leg of the L provides a camming surface having a portion 95 thereof inclined away from front face of table II proceeding towards the right, as viewed in Figure 1. As previously explained, roller 13 disposed on the under side of upper plate I1 extends into elongated slots 26 provided in base plate I8 and the extension 14 to which roller 16 is secured extends into slot 21 in base plate I8. Slot 21 is of suicient size to permit movement of extension 14 therewithin substantially corresponding to the movement of roller 13 in slots 28. Thus, the upper plate I1 is permitted to move 'towards and from the iront face of stationary table II relative to bed plate I8. When plates I1 and I8 are moved in the direction of arrow B a suflicient distance for roller 16 to clear camming element 94, plate I1 may be moved away from the front face of stationary table Il, and this is effected by a depressible cam generally indicated at 96. Cam 98 is pivotally mounted, as at 91 (see Figure 2), and is urged upwardly against a limiting pin 98 by a spiral spring 99 secured thereto and to table II. Cam 96 has an inclined surface 96a disposed in the path of roller 16, so that when plates I1A and i8 are moved inthe direction of arrow B, roller 16 will engage inclined surface 96a, and force the cam 98 downwardly permitting roller 16 to pass over` and beyond depressible cam 96. Spring 98 will then lift the cam to the position illustrated in Figure 2. `Cam 96 is also providedy with a vertical surface 96b inclined outwardly from the front face of table II proceeding towards the left or in the direction of arrow C. Thus, on the retractive movement of plates I1 and I8 in the direction of arrow C, cam 96 cannot be depressed and roller 16 will engage surface 96h, and force upper plate I1 in the direction of arrow D or away from table II. Near the completion of the retractive stroke, roller 16 will engage portion 95 of camming element 94, and be forced towards table II to return upper plate I1 to its original position relative to bed plate I8.

' knife and remove water therefrom.

The vertically moving knife I4 (see Figure 10) passes over pulleys |02 and |03 having a housing or covering |04. The knife moves in the direction shown by the arrow Z. Immediately below the main table Il, is a pipe I leading from a water supply tank |01 (see Figure 1). This pipe supplies water to guides |98 which direct the same against the surfaces of the knife. Im-

mediately below the guides Il are adjustably xed scrapers |39 which are intended to cleanse the knife of any material adhering thereto,` while the spring scrapers I further cleanse the said The guides |08, Scrapers H13 and l II are all housed in a box whose bottom I Illa is sloped and extends outside of the cover |04 so that the material removed from the knife may be directed into a receptacle and thus prevented from following the knife. The water directed against the knife may be taken from the housing or covering |04 in any suitable manner, such as for instance, as the hole H2 at the bottom thereof. The knife passes through a stuffing boX ||3 having adjusting members H4, and above this packing box are spring Scrapers IIS. emerges from the housing or covering |04, it engages still another pair of spring Scrapers The machine is regulated and operated as follows:-

Considering that Zero on the scale 'I2 is located `directly in front of the edge of the knife I4, the hand wheel 43 is turned to regulate the limiting or slice regulating plate 49 for the exact thickness of the slices to be cut. When this plate 49 has been setl by means of the scale lf2, the lock nut H8 is tightened and the machine ready for operation.v

In cutting large cakes or slabs of cakes, a trim slice is always taken for trimming the end therefrom. As all cakes or slabs. of cake are of substantially equal dimensions, the trim slice regulating device 62 can be located on the angle bar 28, so that when the cake,.cakes or cake slabs are pushed forward, the head 59 of the pin 6l may be pressed so as to bring the end 7| of said pin into the path of the block 82 carrying the Just before the knife turns said pin to its retracted position so that the cake bodies may now be pushed forward by the cake body advancing `plate 8| by means of the operator grasping the hand gripping member 86, and these cakes or cake bodies strike against the limiting or slice regulating plate 49.

The reciprocating table is now moved in the direction of the arrow B, and as said ltable moves cake body advancing plate 8|, whereupon the f operator grasps the hand grip 3| and moves the table in the direction of the arrow B. The end of the cake is thus severed by the knife I4 and the roller 'I5 on the extension 'I4 pushes the depressible cam downward and passes thereover. When the reciproca-ting table strikes against the limiting member 24, the cake or cakes have all been trimmed and the trim slices conveyed by the belt conveyors I2 over the chute IIS.

When the table is pulled in the direction of the arrow C, the roller T6 will strike again-st the cam face of the depressible cam 96 and the upper plate Il will move in the direction of the .arrow D by. virtue of the small rollers 7.3 on said upper plate fitting within the slotted holes 26 in the bed plate I8. This will retract the end of the cake body from contact with the knife I4, and when the table has advanced to a position near its original starting position, the roller 'I6 will s-trike the cam face 94y and the upper table I'I be moved in a direction opposite to the direction of the arrow D, so as to move said upper plate int-o its original starting position.

It is now time to cut the first regular slice from the end of the cake, cakes or cake slabs. Of course, when pressure is released from the head 69 of the pin E'I in the trim slice regulating device 62, the spiral spring '68 immediately reforward, the rollers 34 clear the cam plates 25, so that the spiral springs 44 move the entire device carried by the bars 33 and 3l rearward until the bar 33 engages the heads of the studs 32. This will release all pressure from the end of the cake to be cut, and as the reciprocating table continues to move in the direction of the arrow B, the slice or slices will be severed from the cake body or bodies, and will be carried away from the belt conveyors.

Of course, the upper plate I'I of the reciprocating table will moveV away from the knife upon the return movement of the ltable in the direction of the arrow C, as heretofore explained.

Just before the reciprocating table arrives at its initial starting position, the rollers 34 will strike the cam plates 25 and the device carried by the bars 33 and 3l will be moved forward so that the limiting or slice Vregulating plate 49 will be moved into its original starting posi-tion, so that it will be ready to engage the end of the cake bodies for gauging the next slice or slices.

When the cake body is almost exhausted, and there is, after gauging of the last slice, very little of the body remaining on the upper plate the table maybe moved forward until the rollers 34 clear the cam plates 25. Whereupon, the operator may pull the operating wheel 53 on the operating barI in the direction of the arrow E (see Figure 1) whereupon the cams 5ft willbe rotated in the direction of the arrow F (see Figure 3), so as to push the limiting or slice regulating plate 49 back into its original gauging position. It will, of course, be understood that the movement of the plate 43 by virtue of the cams 54 is exactly equal to the amount of play between the outer side of the bar 33 and the heads of the studs 32. The last slice ofthe cake, therefore, to be severed will receive support from the limiting or slice regulating plate 49, which is quite necessary when the cake bodies are substantially exhausted.

Figures 7, 8 andl 9 show an auxiliary upper plate lila havingthe guide rail |2|, and having a plate |22 atA the rear end of the upper plate |821, which' is fastened to the ends of pins 23 mounted in plates |24 with spiral springs IZb` urging the plate |22 in the direction of the rail |11. This device is slidably mounted and governed by a cam |21 operated by a hand wheel |28.

In the case of long strips of wafer material, or strips to be cut into fig newtons, or the like,'a number of these strips yare placed on edge between the rail II'I and guide rail |2I, and the plate |22 holds the same firmly with resilient tension, and enables cleaner cuts to be made.

The body advancing plate |29 is provided with' an extension |3| which is regulated by means of the plate |32 and locking device |33. This body advancing plate is also provided with a roller |34.

'Ihe knife cleansing and conditioning means shown in Figure l0 is quite essential to the successful operation of cake cutting machines in general in that the knife must be kept properly cleansed of vall solid matter and must be moistened to the proper degree to successfully out cakes of different natures. The device here shown comprising the water guides, scrapers, stufng box, etc., is designed after considerable experiment to properly cleanse the knife, so that when it passes from the housing or covering 194 at the point |36, it Will be cleaned and provided just the proper amount of moisture for making a good clean sharp cut of the cake body.

Of course, the cutting machine illustrated and described herein is capable -of being modified and changed in many and various ways without departing from the inventions herein set forth and hereafter claimed.

The invention is hereby claimed as follows:

1. A cake slicing machine comprising a main table, a cutting knife, a conveyor, a reciprocable slotted bed plate, a plate movably mounted on said bed plate for carrying a cake to be sliced, said cutting knife operating in said slot and adapted to cut a slice from the forward end of said cake body, means limiting the thickness of the slice to be cut, spring means for automatically retracting said limiting means when said bed plate is lnoved forward to sever a slice from said cake body, cam means for automatically returning said limiting means to its original position when said bed plate is returned to its starting position, cam means for automatically retracting said cake carrying plate away from said knife after the cake is sliced in order that the knife shall not frictionally eng-age the end of the cake body, and cam means for returning said cake carrying plate to its original location upon its arrival at its initial starting position,

2. A cake slicing machine comprising a main table, a Cutting knife, a conveyor, a slotted reciprocable bed plate, a plate movably mounted on said bed plate for carrying a cake to 'be sliced, said cutting knife operating in said slot and adapted to cut ya slice from the forward end of said cake body, means mounted on said bed Vplate .and moving therewith for limiting the thickness of the slice to be cut, cooperating means between the bed plate and said limiting means for automatically retracting said limiting means when said cake carrying plate is moved forward to sever a slice from said vcake body, and `a plate carried by said limiting means for supporting the forward end-of the cake bodywhen same is nearly exhausted and adapted vto be manually drawn into the original position of said limiting means.

3. A cake slicing machine comprising a main table, a cutting knife, aconveyor, a reciprocable slotted bed platey a plate movably mounted on said bed plate for carrying a cake to be sliced, Said cutting knife operating in said slot and adapted to cut a slice from the forward end of said cake body, means mounted on said leed table and moving therewith for limiting the thickness of the slice to be cut, .cooperating .means between the bed plate and said limiting means CTB for automatically retracting said limiting means when said cake carrying plate is moved forward to sever a slice from said cake body, means connecting said limiting means and cooperating with means on said bed plate for automatically returning said limiting means to its original position when said bed plate is returned to vits starting position, and a plate carried by said limiting means for supporting the forward end of the cake body when same is nearly exhausted and adapted to be manually drawn into the original position of said limiting means.

4. A cake slicing machine comprising a main table, a cutting knife, a conveyor, a slotted reciprocable bed plate, a plate mounted on said bed plate and movable relative thereto at right angles to the direction of reciprocation for carrying a cake to be sliced, said cutting-knife being' operable in said slot and adapted to cu-t a slice from the forward end lof said cake, a plate mounted on said 1eed plate and movable therewith for engaging 4the forward end of the cake to limit the thickness of the slice to be cut, cooperating rneans between the bed plate and said f limiting plate for automatically retracting said limiting plate when the rcake carrying plate is moved forward to sever a slice from said cake, said cooperating means comprising resilient means urging the limiting plate away from the forward end of the cake, and cam means rendering the resilient means inoperative until the bed plate has been moved a predetermined distance towards the knife.

5. The cake slicing machine as'described in claim 4, and wherein reverse movement of the bed plate away from the knife causes the limiting plate to be returned to its original position by the cam means.

6. A cake slicing machine comprising a main table, a cutting knife, a conveyor, a reciprocable bed plate, a cake carrying plate mounted on said bed plate, said cutting knife being adapted to cut `a slice from the forward end of said cake, means limiting the thickness of the slice to be cut, said limiting means comprising spaced toggle members carrying a plate engageable with the forward end of the cake, said toggle vmembers being mounted on the bed plate and movable therewith, spring means urging the toggle members in a direction to bring the limiting' plate out of engagement with the forward end of the cake, cam ymeans maintaining the limiting plate in contact withthe forward end of `the cake until the rbed plate is Vmoved a predetermined distance towards the knife, cam means for returning the limiting plate to its original position upon reverse movement of the bed plate to starting position, and means for adjusting the toggle members to vary the thickness of a cake slice.

JOHN R. LI'I'IY. 

